Peters



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ow n 1 1H 0 a M g n h 0 u R m 6 2 2 m N Patented April 20,1880.

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Rushing-Machine. No. 226,719. Patented April 20,1880.

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. Ruohing-Machine. No. 226,719. v Patented April 20,1880.

ER. x To UNITED STATES PATENT OErroE."

CORNELIUS CLARK, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND CLINTON H. SMITH,OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RUCHlNG-MACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,719, dated April20, 1880.

Application filed January 24, 1880.

To all whom it may concern: tion performs an important additional func-50 Be it known that I, CORNELIUS CLARK, of tion in receiving andimparting heat.

Brooklyn, Kings county, in the State of New B B is a chaiirfluter, ofwell-known con- York, have invented certain new and useful struction,which performs its ordinary func- Improvements relating to Machines forMaktion of receiving a long strip of suitable woven ing Ruches; and I dohereby declare that material in a plane condition and discharging 5 5the following is a full and exact description it bent into a series ofuniform and graceful thereof. corrugations or flutes, each of whichextends The accompanying drawings form a part of evenly across from oneedge to the other. The

this specification, and represent what I conparts which I have combinedtherewith take sider the best means of carrying out theinventhe materialthus bent and flatten it down tion. The first threefigures are merediagrams along a sufficient breadth along the center to indicate theaction of certain moving parts line, and hold it thus permanentlyflattened, without obscuring or complexing the View by so that oncutting afterward along the center 1 5 anyrepresentation therewith ofthe parts which two complete ruches are formed ready for bindsupport andimpel the same. ing and use in any of the ways in which such Figure 1 isan edge view of certain metallic decorations are applied. bands-whichreceive the partially-formed fab- My invention allows for greatlyvarying the ric from an ordinary fluter and compress and fullness of theplaits or corrugations without 20 carry forward the same, holding it bythe midchanging the fluter, and for applying cords or dle of its breadthalone. Fig; 2 shows the tapes to aid in holding the material. The masamewith certain important additions; and terial, being compressed togetherwith heat, Fig. 3 is a plan view of these moving parts, adheres withconsiderable force by the nature cor-responding to Fig. 2. The next twofigof its sizing. The heat is applied in two 25 ures indicate thecondition of the ruche on a \vaysby a gentle blowing of steam into thelarger scale. Fig. etis an edge view of the maseveral corrugations orflutes from the edges, terial as it comes from the fluter. At this andbyadirect application of fire-to the metal stage the corrugations orbends extend evenly upon which the fabric is compressed. I have acrossthe entire breadth of the double ruche in my experiments used thematerials known 7 0 which is to be formed. Fig. 5 is a cross-secastarlatan, organdie, and crepe lisse.

tion through a piece ofthe ruche in a com- I believe any proper materialfor ruches may pleted condition. Fig. 6 is a side view of the besuccessfully worked by its aid. entire machine, or of so much thereof asin- C and D are endless metallic bands runvolves the novel parts, andshows the relation ning at an equal and moderate rate over pul- 35thereof to the ordinary part-thefluter. Fig. leys C C D D and arrangedto receive the 7 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a view flutedfabric as it comes from the fluter B and of the back side, or the sidefrom which the carry it slowly along, pressing it only to the power isreceived, and which will usually be limited breadth of these bands, andleaving a farthest from the attendant. Fig. 9 is a side large portion ateach edge in its gracefully- 0 View of the fixed framing alone, with thesevfluted condition. This carrying is performed eral moving partsremoved. in close contact with the curved part A of the 0 Similarletters of reference indicate like frame, the arrangement being suchthat the parts in all the figures. tension of the belts C D causes themto press I employ a substantial frame-work of casttogether and upon thefixed surface, as will be 5 iron or other suitable material,designatedgenobvious from the Figs. 1, 2, and 6.

erally by A. Certain parts will be denoted E is a curved pipe, suppliedwith gas from 5 when necessary by additional marks, as A thestreet-mains or other source by a connec-' A 8m. This frame supports andadjusts the tion of any ordinary kind, (not shown,) and parts whichperform the labor, and one pordischarging the same through a series ofsmall jets, so as to induce a nearly continuous flame under the curvedpart A of the frame.

F is a pipe having bent branches F F, supplied with steam at a moderatepressure from aboiler or other source. (Not shown.) Each branch directsa gentle current of steam into the several flutes of the fabric as theypass. By the combined dam penin g an d heatingefl'ect of the steam andthe pressing and heating due 'to the carrying between the narrow lnetalbelts over the curve A the ruche is effectually flattened and stucktogether in the flattened condition. It emerges flat along the middleand frilled each side, so that cutting along the middle makes tworuches; but, thus held only by the slight adhesion and stiffness, alittle tension might derange it. I introduce the necessary longitudinalcords to resist tension in the process of manufacture. I will mark 'themain fabric M, and these cords m. The

cords m are supplied in a wet condition from balls of cord immersed in avessel .of water, (not shown,) and are led up through guides at, whichmay be merely deep notches in the framing or in a part bolted thereto,and are led between the belts G D, so as to lie parallel in the desiredpositions on the lower belt, D, and be caused to adhere in thosepositions to the double ruche formed. Then the double ruche is dividedone cord m goes with each part.

The belts G D may be adjusted in tightness by the tightening-pulleys cd, carried on ad? justable arms I, secured by bolts 1, as shown. At thepoint where they receive the fluted stuff they are wide apart; but asthey move forward they gradually approach, and by the time the steam isinjected and the hot portion A of the frame begins to be traversed over,the belts are pressing together and upon the hot frame with the requireddegree of force. I can increase the length of the curved part A and ofthe belts O D, with a corresponding change in the position of thepulleys 0 D so as to give a longer time for the heat and compression, ifdesired. 1 have, for convenience of illustration, shortened those parts.In my experiments I have made the pulleys G (J D D about eight inches indiameter, and made the curved part of the framing A forty-two incheslong. I mount the rolls (3 D almost in contact, but the rolls 0 D abouttwo and one-half inches apart.

The'proper transference of the newly-fluted material from the fluter Binto the open space between the belts O D is greatly aided by what Iterm receiving and delivering belts G H, running over pulleys G G H H(Shown in all the figures except Fig. 1.) These belts G H are ofleather, rubber, or some analogous material having the property ofexerting considerable force in controlling, dragging, or restrainingwith' only a gentle pressure, and are arranged on each side of thecenter line of the fabric, so that they leave center space unobstructed,ready for the metal belts G D to close together there, while theleatherbelts G H travel along each side. The belts G Hrun faster. There is atendency of the newly-fluted fabric to extend itself again as soon as itemerges from the fluter. It is the function of these belts G H to seizeit and run away with it at such a speed as to allow of such partialstraightening; but as soon as the rapid belts G H have carried thehalf-opened flutes forward into the gradually-contracting space betweenthe slow metallic belts O D the motion of the fabric is restrained andthe flutes are compressed against each other again. I can so operate asto compress or condense them to just about their original form, asinduced by the fluter B, or to a greater or less extent. This dependsmainly or entirely on the speed of the metal belts G D, which may bevaried relatively to the speed of the fluter B and of the other parts byshifting the belt J upon the cone-pulleys K K as will be understood fromthe drawings. (See Figs. 7 andS.)

The pulleys O D are geared together by the wheels 0 01 and receive theirmotion through the gear-wheel Z from the shaft L, which carries acone-pulley, L, or a set of different sized pulleys in the position thereverse of the corresponding pulleys P on the sh aftP, which receivesthe motion through a beltfrom the driving-power. (Not shown.)

The transference of motion between the other parts requires no especialdescription, except, perhaps, that to the belts G H. I make the distancebetween these belts adjustable by mounting the pulleys G G on adjustableportions A of the framing, which, being fixed on the stout bar A held byscrew-bolts N, inserted through the slots shown, may be raised andlowered, as required, to give a greater or less hold on the flutedfabric. The belts G H may, by such adjustment, be made to take hold ofany ordinary quality of goods or size of flutes with just sufficientforce to convey it away promptly and prevent its sagging down as itemerges from the fluter B, and still with too little force to deform thedelicate corrugations or to seriously affect them when they are nearlyarrested in the gripe of the slower-moving belts G D. The requiredmotion is communicated to pulleys g h on the overhung end of the shaftsof G H, by a pitch-chain, 0,

running on a properly-spiked or sprocket wheel, 1), on the driving-shaftP, the pulleys g h being similarly spiked. A similar device is, forconvenience, adopted for driving the fluter B.

I apply the terms rob and reef to the effect produced on the ruches bychanging the belt J from one position to another on the cone-pulleys K KWhen it extends the flutes, so as to require less material per yard, theterm rob applies; when it compresses together, so as to form a richerruche by pulling the plaits more together, I term it reefing.

The pulleys G G H H are nearly uniform cylinders, except that groovesare formed or other provisions are made for guiding the narrow belts GH. The surfaces of the pulleys G H where the narrow belts do not comeare covered with brush material or card material G H so as to give theefi'ect of brushes to better seize the fluted fabric and draw it intothe space between the belts G H. With these pulleys thus roughened thebelts G H may be made very smooth, as of fine polished wire, and thedevice will succeed well.

R is a detachable curved plate fitted closely over the upper band, C,where it runs forward in the act of compressing and carrying the flutedmaterial. It confines the vapor introduced by the pipes F and generatedby the hot surface A, and causes it to be diffused more equallythroughout the half-formed ruche. It is removed when desired byunscrewing the bolt 1. t It retains the heat and aids not only theuniformity but also the rapidity of the drying.

Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions of the details. Ibelieve some of the features may be made useful without the whole. Thus,for example, the belts 0 D and the curved frame A, with provisions forheating and adjusting, may be used without the belts G H. The latter maybe used without the brush material on the rollers or pulleys, and steammay be used at a different point from the pipes shown, or can bedispensed with altogether if the material is suitable. I can use steaminstead of gas-flame to heat the curved way A 5 but I prefer the wholeas shown.

It will be understood that the ruches may be greatly varied in width. Ipropose to adapt the machine for the widest double ruche likely to berequired, and then all the narrower fabrics can be worked either with orwithout such changes as dispensing with some of the belts GH. For somegoods only one belt, G and H, on each side of the center will berequired for any ordinary width. The invention is thus shown in Fig. 7.

Two or more of the cords in may be run through each guide a, and workedinto each single ruche. It will be understood that the ruche will formany or most purposes require binding on the flattened edge aftercutting apart from its mate.

I do not confine the use of the machine to the working of any particularmaterial or the manufacture of articles of any particular name.

I claim as my invention 1. In a ruchingmachine, the combination, withthe fluter B, of the metallic belts O D, arranged to compress a portionof the ruche the proper width and to carry it forward in a compressedcondition, as herein specified.

2. In a ruching-machine, the receiving and delivering bands G H, fluterB, and compressingbands 0 D, combined and arranged for joint operationas and for the purpose herein specified.

3. In a ruching-machine, the curved framing A and gas-pipe E, with jetsfor flames, as described, in combination with the compress. ing-bands OD, and means, B G H, for throwin g the fabric into corrugations orflutes and introducing it into the compressing and carrying mechanism,as herein specified.

4. The steam-pipes F F F, arranged as shown relatively to the curved wayA, carrying and compressing parts 0 D, and fluter B, for the purposesherein specified.

5. In a ruching machine, the cone pulleys K K and belt J, in theconnection between the compressing and carrying belts O D, and thefluter B, in combination therewith, and adapted to serve in varying thefullness of the ruches, as herein set forth.

6. Thebrush material or equivalent roughening, G H*, on the pulleys G H,between the belts G G H H, in combination with such belts and with thefluter B, compressing and carrying bands 0 D, and means for applyingheat to the compressed fabric, as herein specified.

7. In a ruching-machine, the heated way A, steam-injecting pipes F, andcompressing and carrying bands 0 D, combined, as shown, with each otherand with a fluter, B, suitable means, G H, for aiding the transfer ofthe fluted fabric, and means, It 4", for covering in the heated way andthe fabric traversing it, as herein specified/ In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand this 21st day of January, 1880, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CORNELIUS CLARK.

Witnesses:

URIAH WELCH, QHARLES O. STETSON.

